The first in-stadium action for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2023 season is just around the corner with preseason game one set for this Friday on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. One of the players that fans are likely to be most excited about seeing is one they’ve waited the longest to see: 2022 fourth-round WR Calvin Austin III.
The Memphis alum suffered what proved to be a season-ending foot injury in the practice before the team’s first preseason game last year. He was placed on the Reserve/Injured List to start the season but aggravated the injury when he returned to practice and shortly after he had surgery.
After a slight hiccup on day one of camp, however, Austin has been impressing with his natural speed and quickness, both on deep routes and in run-after-catch situations. But he’s still working on the nuances of his routes with Diontae Johnson and Allen Robinson II, whom he calls the “release specialists” on the roster.
“My speed release is definitely my go-to. It’s what the defense fears”, he told Craig Wolfley on Sunday during a post-practice interview on Steelers Training Camp Live via the team’s website. “Diontae and Allen are constantly on me about changing it up and stuff like that. I’m still growing in that area as well. It’s great to have vets like that and release specialists like that to be on our team to help me out”.
Over his final two seasons at Memphis, Austin recorded 137 receptions for 2,202 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging over 16 yards per reception on a large sample size. He also had a 69-yard touchdown on a run in 2022.
The Steelers are not going into this season reliant upon him making major contributions, however. They retain Johnson and George Pickens from last year and Robinson was a key offseason acquisition to fill the slot role. Austin will find snaps in between that trio when his skill set calls for it, and as he earns it.
While his stature will be an issue—at 5-9 and a listed 162 pounds he’s a relative homunculus—his speed and quickness were potent weapons in college and have translated to the practice field.
If he can incorporate the lessons learned from the veteran route runners ahead of him, it will make him appear even more explosive. Imagine combining whiplash release points with elite lateral quickness. Talk about separation.
But as with all the rookies, this is a show-me business and he hasn’t shown anything in the arenas that matter most, just yet. Friday will be a key day for him, and he should get quite a bit of playing time as well. The coaches will be as eager to get an extended look at him in that setting as we are, considering we all missed the opportunity a year ago.
